The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-03-19
INDIscRtMINATE REORGANIZATION.

the Shreveport Times and other papers
have revived the issues of the late con-
gressionai contest between Gen. King
and Hon. G. j. Boatuer. Not that we
fear the issue but because no possible
good can be accomplished by discuss
ing and reviving past factional dlssen.
lions. In order TO purge Gen. Nichols
OF the charge OF being a boiler the
Times seeks to convict Gov. McEnery
and Col. Boatner and his friends Of the
same offense. That the Times signal]y
failed in the attempt is no reason why
we should let the charge go unchal-
lenged. The Times bases its position
upon the assumption that the King
Boatner contest and the Hunt-St. Mar
tin contest are parallel cases when In
| truth and in fact there is no similitude
between them. A bare statement OF
the facts in the two cases will bear US
out ia this assertion. In the latter case
Mr.. Hunt and his friends, pre-suppos.
ing that the regularly organized agency
of the Democratic party in his district
was corrupt and had ordained his de-
feat for a reorganization for Congress,
organized an Independent movement
boited the regularly constituted party
organization - and nominated Mr..
Hunt. In this movement Gen. Mich
oils took an active part, supporting Mr..
Hunt against the regular Democratic
| nominee.
The contest between Gen. King end
Col. Boatner was quite different. They
were candidates, as each had the right
TO be, for the Democratic nomination
for Congress and they submitted their
claims before regular Democratic
convention called together by the reg
ularly constituted-asency OF tho party.
The convection was called to order by
| the regular chairman of the executive
committee and temporary organizae
ton was effected by the chairman call.
ing temporary presiding officer to the
chair. No objection was raised. At
this juncture, and on motion OF sup.
porter of Gen. King, a recess was taken.
During tho recess the friends of Gen.
King returned TO the place of meeting
and In the absence Of the friends and
supporters OF Col. Boatner re. organized
the convention, thereby creating
split, the regularly constituted prelim-
n ofr of fitn
fusing to recognize the usurpation. In
the subsequent confusion and wrangle,
occasioned by this action, for the Or
ganization Of the convention, Col.
Boatner went before the then two con-
ventiops sitting in the same room and
offered, for the purpose Of restoring
peace and harmony and in the interest
and welfare OF the party, to withdraw
from the race provided Gen. Kings
friends would return to the regular
convention as at first organized by the
regularly constituted authority of the
party. This proposition Gen. King
and his friends refused to accede to.
The issue was then carried before the
people and in the contest Col. Boatner
was recognized by the regular party
organization rs tho regular candidate
of the regular Democratic party. He
was defeated it is true, but no argus
ment can be maintained that he and
his friends were boilers.
No deadly parallel can be drawn be-
tween these two cases.
But what had Gov. McEuery TO do
with this? Admitting for the sake of
argument that Col. Boatner and his
friends were boilers, by what process Of
reasoning Is Gov. McEnery thereby
made bolter? During the sitting OF
the convention and the contest that
followed, Gov, McEnery was in Baton
Rouge attending to the duties OF his
office. 1t might have been that his
personal feelings were warmly enlisted
in behalf OF the success Of his friend,
Col. Boatner, but it is fact that he
did not give him his active support.
The Telegraph is not Il champion of
Gov. McEuery's, not even II supporter
Of his, but it can say in all consistency
and with all the significance of the term
as applied to himself by Gov. Hill,
that che is Democrat" aud that his